SurroundBar 6000 Instant Home Theater

by Marcos Rivera, January 3, 2011

Strengths:

Sound power, Bass, easy set-up, sound quality.

Weaknesses:

Having to adjust bass and sound more than I want to.

Review:

It has been almost a month since I purchase this product, after spending 2 weeks reviewing products alike, I decided to purchase the soundbar 6000. At first, I have to admit I was very skeptical of how the soundbar was going to perform, it performs as I expected, by no means is no 6.1 home theater, but it does an excellent job as a replacement. No wires going all over the place, speakers taking space, plus no additional receiver amp. The sound is powerful enough to fill my 24' X 17'X 9' living room with a 52 inch LCD Sony BRAVIA. Super easy to get it started even a "cave man can do it." You will be surprised the sound that comes out of it. The only negative I have is that you have to adjust your sound and bass a lot depending on the type of programming you are watching. Other than that, great buy. Excellent for music and concerts.

by Harri Heimonen, January 4, 2011

Strengths:

incredible sound, crips clean, loud when it needs to be and quiet the same way. perfect extremes in sound, easy use and hook up, best bang for the buck, no wires

Weaknesses:

not really any. i love this system. was skeptical at first with such a small bar. but the sound is great and booming

Review:

I purchased this surround bar with subwoofer 2 weeks ago. I am thouroughly impressed with the sound quality for blu ray movies, the sound is crips clear and coming at you from both sides. base from the subwoofer is incredible. I am very impressed and pleased with the purchase. easy hook up and easy set up with your tv remote. thanks polk, great product!

by David V., January 11, 2011

Strengths:

Great sound, great sub with deep bass. Program your current remote with the bar. Elegant and stylish. Wireless sub is great way to go.

Weaknesses:

Bit overpriced but mostly the inability to adjust mids and highs on the soundbar, or the remote it would have been so easy for Polk Audio to make that possible. Inability to teach another remote the bass volume.

Review:

Great addition to my tv in my bedroom. However it would be a great addition to any room. Created a theater room with the sound it produces. The sound literally filled my whole house. The sub is excellent and I give it A++ for the base it puts out, being able to control its frequency with the remote, and its elegant design. The sound bar itself puts out a great sound as well and goes well with the sub-woofer. It is definitely a step up from the 3000 due to a fuller and more dynamic sound quality, and deeper bass. The fact that you can program your tv or whatever remote with the soundbar is a huge plus for this system. It is very simple and easy to do, however I don't think you can program the bass volume which is a bummer. Overall the sound is incredible, but I think the price is a bit steep for what you are getting.

by John Connelly, January 20, 2012

Strengths:

Quick installation, Quality audio

Weaknesses:

None

Review:

Absolutely awesome! I have a 14 x 24 full blown out theater room with a 130" screen and it's audio is fully equipped with all Polk Audio products and I can tell you the sound is unbelievable and I just refreshed my living room with a 55" plasma and wanted a clean look to match our modern room. I choose the POLK 6000IHT SoundBar and it literally, took me five minutes to install and I was up and going. I popped in a Gladiator Blu-Ray to test it out and WOW! I was shocked that this quality of sound could come out of such a small unit. I took the hint of putting the sub in the corner of the room and the pounding is suburb. I want too thank Polk for putting out another fantastic product.

by Matt H, December 26, 2010

Strengths:

Loud, clear

Weaknesses:

Read description

Review:

Moved to a smaller place and didn't have room for my cabinet style system so I picked this up. I must say, it's just as good as my old yamaha amp an paradigm 5.1 setup. Rock Band game sounds even better. Only gripe I have is the feet. I'd like it to straddle the base of my TV. Instead it must sit in front of it. Bottom line is it's VERY loud and sounds great. Don't really miss all the silly functions the amp has. I can't tell you how many hours I have spent tweaking the sound instead of enjoying it, with my yamaha amp. This just works. I set it up in about 5-10 minutes. Blue Man Group sounds even better than my old $1500 cabinet setup. PS3 works great too, but the bar seems to go into sleep mode in between selecting menu options. That's all I got. It's worth the money. Very clear and loud.

by Bill Bundschuh, December 26, 2010

Strengths:

Quick, simple setup by using provided optic cable. The system quickly learned the existing remote control signals for a single reomote control setup.

Weaknesses:

This system does not replace a 5.1 or 7.1 sound system. The sub-woofer could use a higher wattage amplifier for some sound settings.

Review:

The Polk Audio SurroudBar 6000 is a good replacement for the speaker system that is typically furnished with a flat screen TV. The sound is crisp and the sub-woofer is not over powering. This system makes an excellent add-on for listening to Sirius radio and general movie and TV watching.

by Teresa, December 18, 2010

Strengths:

Easy to install, sound quality seems incomparable!

Weaknesses:

Cannot think of any..!

Review:

Our son bought this for us for Christmas. We cannot believe the quality of sound! It seems we are sitting in an actual movie theater! Cannot wait to watch the big game sunday night against the Giants! Go Birds!!

by Charles Weinstein, December 30, 2010

Strengths:

Easy to set up; fits in easily and unobtrusively with most furniture.

Weaknesses:

Weak, boomy bass. Sound bar sound not great.

Review:

I was quite dissapointed. Easy to set up, but the bass is not all that powerful and is quite boomy and the sound from the bar makes a clicking sound during some speech sounds. I can't believe it has 280 watts...if so it is probably not RMS at 8 ohms.

by angelika, November 14, 2011

Strengths:

good

Weaknesses:

no instructions for wireless connection with i mac

Review:

sitting here steaming. I have the new Samsung 55 D 7000, and the wireless polk subwoofer. Nothing wrong with this. But please can some one email me the darn instruction, how I can wirelessly get my imac itunes, i pad i tunes, i pad touch working? I can't find any information whether on the Apple site nor on the polk site So frustrated. And I do need the Apple Express to be in my office, as the i Mac is there. The TV is behind the wall that is behind there where the living room is. Can you give me instructions. Thanks.

by Ty Duncan, December 5, 2011

Strengths:

polk sound,easy setup,nice looking,took movies and sports to the next level.

Weaknesses:

price,watch for sells,hhgregg,best buy,crutchfield...

Review:

wow what a difference over tv speakers..didnt have to run wires and speakers all over for great sound..nice looking,easy setup,programed to direct remote..no problem..

by KC, December 3, 2010

Strengths:

easy setup, overall good sound for a soundbar but don't expect surround sound or to replace a 5.1 home theater system.

Weaknesses:

Remote does not work, Learn feature does not work on my LG plasma TV, bass is mediocre, optical cable input poorly designed

Review:

We bought this the Soundbar 3000 at Best Buy but the remote and Learn features did not work so we returned it for the model 6000. However, the same problems occurred. The Polk Audio 6000 soundbar is an improvement over the audio from my LGPK60-750 model plasma TV. Neither the "Learn" feature or the remote works, which is frustrating. The bass on the 3000 model was annoying and sounded like someone was kicking a door at low volume. The model 6000 is better but for $500 you would expect everything to work as promised. Polk Audio tech support was not helpful either. I give this unit 2.5 stars -- its just okay.

by Alan, May 22, 2012

Strengths:

Best sound in such small, great looking package. Easy to use and set up.

Weaknesses:

Not the equal of bookshelf speakers/receiver combo. No discrete power codes for universal remotes!(at least in mine - firmware update available by Polk factory only!)

Review:

These days, with all the TV's getting so slim and streamlined, sound takes a beating. This is a perfect upgrade for great sound in a small package. It's easy to set up and use. Do not expect full size speaker sound, however. Clarity is there but the output is obviously limited based on form factor. It looks great, sounds soooo much better than any TV speakers. The main issue I had for a living room system with 3 sources: no discrete power codes for ON and OFF! There is a firmware upgrade available for this, but it was not an option without returning the speaker to Polk! HUGE inconvenience. In this respect, I have to say, get it together, Polk!

by Shane, February 28, 2012

Strengths:

Easy install

Weaknesses:

only 1 bad component out of four; guess that's a 75% success rate in anyone's charter

Review:

Purchased 2 of these systems from American T.V. Good value for the price with only one hiccup; one of the subs won't work (i.e., sync). You have my email address and I'd appreciate a courtesy follow-up. I'll be interested to see how quickly this gets resolved. The character of company shines through the customer service efforts (after the purchase)...

Polk Response:

Sorry to hear that Shane. Please give us a call 1-800-377-7655, Option 1. The subwoofer should not have a problem synchronizing.

by Stephen S, April 2, 2013

Strengths:

Great sound, easy setup.

Weaknesses:

The remote is absolute GARBAGE. You have to line it up perfectly with the sensor and mash the buttons. Its a joke.

Review:

First I'll start off by making a statement I'm sure has been beaten into the ground in reference to soundbars. This is not a replacement for a true surround system. That being said, the 6000 is pretty darn close. My setup is a Bluray player connected optically, and my HTPC, 360 and Wii running analog out through the TV....I'll explain why. The one issue I have is with the optical input. The 6000 has a built in Dolby Digital decoder BUT, and this is a big but...it does not have the ability to decode Dolby True HD or any DTS soundtrack. So assuming you have your Bluray player connected to the 6000 via optical, pop in The Walking Dead or the Back To The Future trilogy. You will be greeted to...silence. To fix this you will either have to pick an appropriate sound format using he disc menu (usually a 2ch DD signal is an option), or do what I did....set up any DTS soundtrack to default to 2ch PCM using the BR players setup menu. Its an easy fix but really defeats the purpose of using the optical connection. And considering the fact that most Blurays either use DD True HD or DTS Master Audio, it makes me wonder if the Dolby Digital decoder is necessary at all. If your playing a standard DVD pretty much all of them use 5.1 Dolby Digital, at least that's something. Polk seems a year or two behind the curve when it comes to audio formats. At best it's a novelty and a bullet point to put on the box. *Also, for all you guys running the optical out from the back of your TV to the 6000, this is a rather pointless endeavor. A vast majority of TVs WILL NOT pass through multi-channel digital audio. What the TV does is downmix the signal to a 2ch PCM signal. So while the signal is still getting pumped out as "digital", its all basically a stereo mixdown signal, no matter what the source. So...if you see a blue solid light on the front panel, its either PCM or analog. If its steady green the decoder is on. Most likely if your running it rough the optical out on the TV, you will see a blue light. Here's the kicker though: Nothing in the last two paragraphs matter. No matter if you're connected through 2ch analog, optical multi channel or optical PCM, the sound is vastly superior to your TV's speakers. I watch most of my movies and shows through my HTPC, connected to the TV via HDMI, then using the downmixed 2ch analog to the 6000. Its really like night and day. Even though im using the 2ch analog connection which some may view as the "worst" connection, the 6000 still amazes. I'd say the 6000 does about 75% job of recreating multichannel audio. But this will depend on the size of your room and how close the walls are. And when you get lucky and find a Bluray that actually is compatible with the 6000 (in my case T2: Skynet Edition), the sound is even more brilliant. In my opinion though, the 2ch analog sounds better than the 2ch PCM optical...has more of a "spacious" feel. So unless I'm watching a Blruray that I know has DD 5.1, I keep it analog for all sources. And unlike those chepos Sony and Samsung, Polk actually includes everything you need....optical cable, analog cable and adapters. Whens the last time Sony packaged anything but composite cables (thanks for nothing). The set up was DEAD SIMPLE. Literally had it set up and running within 5 minutes of removing it from the box. What will take a little while is getting the sound just right...as I stated above. There is also some trial and error when it comes to the subwoofer placement. Don't get me wrong, that lil' devil sounds great. I found it fills the room better when placed in a corner. The same general rules apply to this sub as to any other...just be cognizant of the 50ft wireless range. *Also very important. I've read reviews on soundbars that use wireless subs where some people have had problems with wireless network interference. Im using an older generation Linksys G router that sits about a foot under the soundbar. I have had no dropouts or any type of interference. Im sure this will vary, just sayin. Please Google the 6000, its has overwhelmingly positive reviews from actual professionals. I hope my review has been helpful, and at the very least had shed some light in reference to the built in decoder. **EDIT After reading a bunch of reviews on Amazon Ive come to the conclusion most of the negative reviews are from: A. People who are expecting 7.1 surround B. People who didnt have the common sense to read the instructions. -I hate it when products get bum reviews from bad consumers. 7/10/12 LONG TERM UPDATE. Since the initial install I have a cable box in the mix. Im using the optical out to connect. Since most broadcasts are in 5.1, everything sounds great. I have also upgraded to a Linksys E2500 router. No signal degradation on either the 2.4 of 5ghz bands. Programing my cable remote to the soundbar also couldnt have been easier. BUT, i still keep the factory remote around in case I want to adjust the bass settings.

by Joldens, March 18, 2012

Strengths:

Ease of install, quality of sound and bass.. Just an awesome system, especially for price!

Weaknesses:

Light indicator is always on and no equalizer

Review:

"Awesome, awesome, awesome!!! Best value in the market Awesome system, incredibly easy to setup, great sound, unbelievable bass!! actually had to turn it down. Highly recommend, especially if you want a clean wireless setup. The system can get painfully loud, while maintaining quality of sound. The only thing I would like to see added is an equalizer of sorts, but if you have a receiver or a good tv you can control what goes to it.

by Bill C, April 8, 2012

Strengths:

Easy setup that does what it's supposed to do. Very good sound for a unit taking up very little space.

Weaknesses:

Sound level indicator for the bar and subwoofer would be very useful. HDMI connection would be great so you could have the menu on the TV screen.

Review:

A major improvement over the speakers in our 42" Sharp Aquos. Makes PBS Brit programs and DVD's understandable. Also replaced the free standing speakers for the stereo. The sound for the size is impressive. Don't expect a live concert hall sound, but does a great job in a small space.

by Dave Reiner, August 14, 2012

Strengths:

Easy set up sounds good in the bedroom

Weaknesses:

Good for the big bedroom but too small for big living room. ( I bought it for a bedroom)

Review:

Fast set up! I love the idea that it works. No reciver no speaker wires. I set up the my remote to work with it in 20 sec.

by Rick Berdeski, October 2, 2012

Strengths:

LOOKS. wireless sub

Weaknesses:

not spectacular but pretty good.

Review:

Pretty cool..just about right for watching tv and want better sound without turning on the stereo.

by Carl T, December 14, 2012

Strengths:

Awesome sound, fills the room with music. Great bass as well. Love the wireless sub woofer.

Weaknesses:

Being able to see the volume settings either on the unit or on the TV screen would be great.

Review:

Just purchased from Fry's Electronics and installed it in my large family room. This was so easy to set up, it worked without any hitches. Programmed my Logitech Harmony remote to control the device. It's so great when you purchase something and it works right out of the box. Great job Polk

by Rick Kania, January 1, 2013

Strengths:

Dynamic theater sound. Ease of set-up. Ease of use. Compact subwoofer

Weaknesses:

No Bluetooth . No volume display. Needs another optical input for Blu-ray player.

Review:

I started off buying a system that was the same brand as my tv thinking that they would work better together. The subwoofer was large and I assumed would pack large sound as well. I listened to the unit in the store and it sounded very dynamic. When I got it hooked up to my tv I was very disappointed with the lack of bass response even with the subwoofer volume at maximum. I returned my tv brand home theater and decided to purchase a system brand known for sound. I selected a system with minimum non sound performance related extras and the 6000 IHT fit the bill. I was surprised at how big the box was for how little was in it, but the size of the sound was even more surprising. When I started up an action movie and boosted the bass up the sound was very exciting and absorbing, It was just what I wanted from my home theater system. Then when watching later in the evening, so as not to disturb others in the house, you can dial the bass back. The wire connections were simple and making the tv remote control the volume and muting was almost as simple. The home theater power goes on and off with the tv power which is nice. Equalization choices would be nice but adjusting the subwoofer volume is just as convenient. The Bluetooth connection for music would have been helpful but I think the direct wire connection is more reliable and sufficient for occasional use. The remote is credit card size and controls all functions. I smiled when I first heard this unit and said "THIS is what I was looking for in a home theater soundbar!"

New York Times

—Sam Grobart

“The last sound bar tested was just right. Polk’s SurroundBar 6000 can be found for $500, and it was the best combination of performance and price.”

“The Polk gets more from less, generating superior sound from only four speakers in the sound bar and an external wireless subwoofer.”

“There is no display and there is no real need for one — the Polk eschews multiple sound modes and other adjustable settings for an approach that works straight out of the box.”

“The Polk provided rich, clear, well-rounded sound. Placement was also excellent — sounds were distributed well enough to cause listeners to reflexively swivel their heads in reaction. The included wireless subwoofer was strong without overpowering the overall audio. “

“Setup was the fastest of all the units tested, with a three-cable (two power, one TV connection). . . . The remote control was also refreshingly simple — just volume controls for the sound bar and the subwoofer, three source buttons, power and mute.”
 

[ Open Review ]

Dan Keener, Gaming Nexus

I have to say, the SB 6000 exceeded my expectation at every turn, bringing great sound from every song, show or movie regardless of the source. What I like most is that the SB 6000 filled the entire room with audio and worked flawlessly with the subwoofer to create a nice blend of mid range, highs and bass. 

[ Open Review ]